VHTR core analysis with McCARD and DeCART codes for high temperature engineering test reactor benchmark

Abstract

This paper presents a Very High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (VHTR) core analysis of the McCARD and DeCART-2D with High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR) benchmark problem. The numerical results of the HTTR benchmark problem are demonstrated, the capability for VHTR core analysis of McCARD is validated by using the experiment data, and that of DeCART-2D is verified by comparing the numerical results with those of McCARD. The detail HTTR benchmark problem and specification of core geometry and material are also described. Also, a method of approximation for the complex geometry of the VHTR core is described for modelling in computational code. In terms of the multiplication factor and temperature coefficient, the numerical results of McCARD are easily compared with the HTTR experiment data. Because the DeCART-2D can solve 2-dimensional (2D) geometry, the simulation of 2D HTTR fuel rod, block, and core problem is performed with DeCART-2D and McCARD. The numerical results between them are around 200–400 pcm, meaning that DeCART-2D can be used to analyze VHTR core.